In Quest for Japan's Revival, Abe Secures His Own Comeback

Prime Minister's Message: He and Japan Are Back

TOKYO — A Paralympic skier who lost her leg in a car accident. A fisherman who became a community promoter after nearly drowning. A young business owner with a successful new factory that replaced its recession-ravaged predecessor.

Those were among the handful of people Prime Minister Shinzo Abe invited to his residence in late June. The day's theme: "the second chance" and Mr. Abe's drive for Japan to revive a once-thriving economy by better tapping into the energy of people who have experienced failures or...